Kamal’s Journey Against Time
She was a ray of lightSourced by an unknown and unknowable fire within -Unencumbered by surroundings and society,She lit a room full of people by her intense enigmatic smileAnd imbued little things with sensitivity and style,Today time gives proof that it was unable to dull her lusterAnd diminish her spirit. Suffern, New York, February 31, 2015www.kaulscorner.commaharaj.kaul@yahoo.com Note: This poem was written about […]
When I Met Kailash Mehra the First Time
I do not remember when I first heard about Kailash Mehra the singer the first time, but I remember thinking about her seriously in 1990’s when her musical CD Bal Maryo came out. It was a fabulous collection of Kashmiri songs, including the classic bedardi chani, which also is her favorite song of […]
The Enigma of Bhajanji
We hardly knew you Bhajanji, A year has passed since you unexpectedly left us, A year of intense suffering and slow-burning pain. We searched for you in the corners of the world and heavens, But only in the recesses of our hearts and contours of our minds We saw your smiles and songs well […]
The Marred Gift of God
It is something that the world remembers you after death, But for a moment I would burn our love and reclaim my freedom, As in our times it is a convenience not a dedication. It is a wonder that God still has faith in humans, For they have mutilated the grand design, And changed […]
Where Do We Find You Bhajan?
Where do we find you Bhajan, In the shy Wullar waters of Sopore, Or in the regal Nishat and Shalimar gardens? Your carefully managed long tresses of hair, Well groomed mustache and stylish kurta and pajama, Created the image of a slick socialite or an actor just out of a performance. What were […]
Walking Toward the Sunset
There were times when some people thought I was a pure specimen of life, But such adulation was rare and far between, Most of my life I was a mystery man. They came to me as I was clean and harmless, Curiosity was often rife As how a strange person like me existed, […]
Ode To New Year
Why are we blindly welcoming the arrival of new year, Weren’t last few years our pained existence? Does man have wisdom, Or is he a natural phenomenon unguidable? If man is susceptible to illusions Then why not build a path with them? Personal resolutions and planning Are dousing of a grand fire. […]
Trip To Kashmir 2021
My six-week trip to India was a boutique of reciprocated sentiments for my motherland, especially the part spent in Kashmir. As the nature of human life is, it was not perfect. Along with the flowers there were some thorns. I spent seventeen glorious days in the lap of my mother, Kashmir, in spite of […]
Reminiscences of Bhabi – Kamla Cherwoo
It seems some things in life are destined to fail, especially among those that you cherish the most. When I was a boy, I used to think I would marry a village belle. It was because I thought she would be pure of heart and simple in demeanor compared to a city […]
Book Buzz: The Light Through The Woods
Maharaj Kaul’s The Light Through the Woods: Dreams of Survival of Human Soul in the Age of Technology offers a surreal and philosophical experience intended to revive the slowly diminishing connection between humans, nature, and the divine. In his second book of poetry, out of the six he has written, Maharaj continues to rejuvenate […]